Cradle for building log rafts.



No. 800,264. PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905.

J. A. CAMPBELL.

CRADLE FOR BUILDING LOG RAFTS.

.LPYLIOLTION FILED JAN. 31, 1905- c; Ia! J. 629/44 3 MZ UNITED STATES PATENT o FIoE.

JOHN A. CAMPBELL, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO HUGH R..

ROBERTSON, OF'PORTLAND, OREGON. CRADLE FOR, BUILDING LOG RAFTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1905.

Application filed January 31, 1905. $erial No. 2431561.

construction and arrangement of parts, which I shall hereinafter fully describe. A typical cradle for this purpose consists, essentially, of a floating floor anchored to spuds at one side, the other side being free, and suitable posts along the sides of the floor, the posts on the free sidebeing locked in place while the raft is being constructed and adapted to be removed in order to open that side and float the raft out'when finished. Heretofore this floating floor has not been substantially constructed and has consisted of a more or less heterogeneous assemblage of logs or timbers, which under the strain of the launching raft was liable to be and generally was torn to pieces and practically disintegrated.

The object of my invention is to provide a cradle with a strong and substantial floating platform or bed provided with novel readily locked and unlocked separable slides and outer posts, said slides and posts being capable of conducting. and guiding the raft in launching, easily separating from the remainder of the cradle without injuring it, easily removable from the raft when launched, and adapted to be returned to and to form part of the cradle again.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is atop view, partly broken, of the cradle. Fig. 2 is an end view of the, cradle shown locked up. ready for the building of the raft. Fig. 3 is a perspective detail showing the unlocking of the separable slides and posts. The bed or'platform of the cradle is composed of floating logs A, end to end and secured in suitable manner in a plurality of parallel lines. Upon these logs are laid and secured thereto in suitable manner the crosssills B, which extend the whole width of the bed or platform and are suitably connected by diagonal braces 0, one or more spaces being left free of braces to enable the launching leverage to be applied without interference. The inner ends of the cross-sills B are provided with suitable guides 6, which fit freely over and play up and down upon anchor spuds or piles D. To the inner ends of these crosssills are secured the inner or stationary posts E. .Upon the inner portion-of the cross-sills are carried and properly bolted the inner or stationary slides F, while upon the outer portion of said cross-sills are the movable slides G, which are free to slip from said cross-sills. The inner ends of the movable slides Gr arebeveled under the adjacent ends of the fixed slides F, as shown at f, whereby when the two slides are fitted together they present a continuous surface and the movable slides are well'held down in place.

Upon the outer ends of the movable slides G are secured the outer posts H. The slides G and the outer posts H thus constitute a frame capable of being separated from theremainder of the cradle and yet forming when in place an integral part thereof. To lock this frame in place, I have the knees I. These consist of heavy pieces having a base by which each is hinged by means of a cross-bolt in the notched outer ends of the cross-sills B. Each knee has a shoulder at 41, which bears against and holds the end of the movable slide G, as seen in Fig. 2. The knees rise beside the posts H and are secured thereto by a bolt it. It will now be seen that when the knees I are upright and bolted to the posts H they will, as shown in Fig. 2, by contact with said posts and by reason of their shoulders c", bearing on the ends of the slides G,-lock and hold .the'movable frame composed of said slides and posts in its place as part of the cradle; but when'the bolts hare removed and the knees are dropped down about their hinged lower ends, as seen in Fig. 3, the movable frame is unlocked and released and will slide off the platform or bed of the cradle, but without dis- 1 integrating it or injuring it in the least.

J represents wedge-pieces at each side of the cradle, and K diagonal pieces to assist in forming the bottom of the raft.

The use and operation of the cradle are as follows: When the raft is begun, the cradle floats high at its anchored spuds and the movable frame, composed of the movable slides G and posts H, is locked by the knees I in place, as in Fig. 2. As the raft progresses the eradle sinks until the water-line is about at the top of the cradle posts. IV hen the raft is ready for launching, the bolts 72, are removed and the knees I are knocked over. Then by suitable leverage applied to the inner side of the raft it is forced over to the free side of the cradle and the latter begins to tilt to that side, while the slides G, with the posts H, move over before and with the raft. Very shortly the raft slips down into the Water free of the platform or bed of the cradle, carrying the slides G and posts H with it. The platform is left intact and the separated frame is easily floated from the raft and returned and locked in place.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A cradle for building log rafts consisting of a floating platform the entire width of the cradle and forming the bed thereof, said platform being composed of underlying rows of logs and overlying cross-sills securely fastened together, stationary slides on the inner portion of the cross-sills, with stationary inner posts, movable slides on the outer portion of the cross-sills with outer posts secured to said slides, and means for locking said movable slides and outer posts in place to complete the cradle while the raft is building and for unlocking them to separate from the cradle in launching the raft.

2. A cradle for building log rafts consisting of a floatingplatform the entire width of the cradle and forming the bed thereof, said platform being composed of underlying rows of logs and overlying cross-sills securely fastened together, stationary slides on the inner portion of the cross-sills, with stationary inner posts, movable slides on the outer portion of the cross-sills with outer posts secured to said slides, and means for locking said movable slides and outer posts in place to complete the cradle while the raft is building and for unlocking them to separate from the eradle in launching the raft, consisting of knees hinged at their lower ends to the outer ends of the cross-sills and provided with means for detachably engaging the movable slides and outer posts.

3. A cradle for building log rafts consisting of a floating platform the entire Width of the cradle and forming the bed thereof, said platform being composed of underlying rows of logs and overlying cross-sills securely fastened together, stationary slides on the inner portion of the cross-sills, with stationary inner posts, movable slides on the outer portion of the cross-sills with outer posts secured to said slides, and means for locking said movable slides and outer posts in place to com plete the cradle while the raft is building and for unlocking them to separate them from the cradle in launching the raft, consisting of knees hinged at their lower ends to the outer ends of the cross-sills, said knees having shoulders engaging the outer ends of the movable slides and bolts for securing them to the outer posts.

4. A cradle for building log rafts consisting of a floating platform the entire width of the cradle and forming the bed thereof, said platform being compose-d of underlying rows of logs and overlying cross-sills securely fastened together, stationary slides on the inner portion of the cross-sills, with stationary inner posts, movable slides on the outer portion of the cross-sills with outer posts secured to said slides, the inner ends of said movable slides being beveled under the adjacent ends of the stationary slides, and means for locking said movable slides and outer posts in place to complete the cradle while the raft is building and for unlocking them to separate from the cradle in launching the raft.

5. A cradle for building log rafts consisting of a floating platform the entire width of the cradle and forming the bed thereof, said bed being composed of underlying rows of logs and overlying cross-sills securely fastened together, guides at the inner ends of the crosssills and anchor-piles upon which said guides play, stationary slides on the inner portion of the cross-sills with stationary inner posts,movable slides on the outer portion of the crosssills with outer posts secured to said slides, the inner ends of said movable slides being beveled under the adjacent ends of the stationary slides, and the means for lockingand unlocking the movable slides and outer posts consisting of the knees hinged to the outer ends of the cross-sills, shouldered against the outer ends of the movable slides and bolted to the outer posts.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN A. CAMPBELL.

In presence of W. H. BEATTY, MAY S. HARRISON. 

